Obama Flashback: “Sequester Is Not Something That I Proposed…It Will Not Happen.”

Obama Has Time For Everyone And Everything Except Those That Count In Order To Avert The Sequester

OBAMA BEMOANED A CULTURE OF PROCRASTINATION IN WASHINGTON

Obama: “I don’t know why it is in this town folks leave stuff to the last minute. There is no other profession, no other industry where people wait until the 11th hour to solve these big problems. And obviously, it creates a lot of uncertainty in our economy.” (President Barack Obama, Interview With WJZ (CBS), 2/20/13)

DESPITE VOWING THAT SEQUESTRATION WOULD NOT HAPPEN, OBAMA HAS BEEN EVERYWHERE BUT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE WHILE THE SEQUESTER DEADLINE APPROACHES

FLASHBACK: Obama In October 2012: “First Of All, The Sequester Is Not Something That I Proposed. It’s Something That Congress Has Proposed. It Will Not Happen.” OBAMA: “Bob, I just need to comment on this. First of all, the sequester is not something that I proposed. It’s something that Congress has proposed. It will not happen. The budget that we’re talking about is not reducing our military spending, it’s maintaining it.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President And Governor Romney In The Third Presidential Debate, Boca Raton, FL, 10/23/12)

“Obama’s Greatest Adversary In The Latest Budget Battle Isn’t The Republican Leadership In Congress — It’s His Confidence In His Own Ability To Force A Win.” “President Barack Obama’s greatest adversary in the latest budget battle isn’t the Republican leadership in Congress — it’s his confidence in his own ability to force a win. He has been so certain of his campaign skills that he didn’t open a line of communication with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell until Thursday, a week before the spending ax hits. And when they did finally hear from Obama, the calls were perfunctory, with no request to step up negotiations or invitations to the White House. That’s because Obama’s all-in on an outside strategy, doing just about everything other than holding serious talks with Republicans.” (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jake Sherman, “Is President Obama Overplaying Sequestration Hand?,” Politico, 2/22/13)

In Recent Weeks, Obama Has “Talked In Tough Terms That Signal Little Interest In Compromise — Or Suggestion Of Backing Down.” “Throughout, he’s talked in tough terms that signal little interest in compromise — or suggestion of backing down. He’s navigating a thin line. Obama is convinced he’s got the upper hand on Republicans. Yet he can go only so long before he risks being perceived as a main actor in Washington’s dysfunction, threatening a core element of his political brand — and the fragile economic recovery he’s struggled to maintain. The calls placed Thursday to Boehner and McConnell were prompted, in part, by a White House desire to inoculate Obama from that exact criticism.” (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jake Sherman, “Is President Obama Overplaying Sequestration Hand?,” Politico, 2/22/13)

“Obama’s Been Virtually Absent From The Legislative Process — More So Than During Previous Budget Showdowns.” “But Obama’s been virtually absent from the legislative process — more so than during previous budget showdowns. And if the president wants his public offensive to work, he needs to keep attention focused on Republicans and why they refuse to consider new revenue as part of a deal to avert the $1.2 trillion sequester.” (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jake Sherman, “Is President Obama Overplaying Sequestration Hand?,” Politico, 2/22/13)

“There Has Been No Discernible Effort By The White House To Work On A Bill That Might Pass.” Instead, Obama is putting his energy toward campaigning against the GOP’s cuts-only approach, concluding that he can win either way.” (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jake Sherman, “Is President Obama Overplaying Sequestration Hand?,” Politico, 2/22/13)

“Even Democrats No Longer Expect Obama To Be The Lead Negotiator On A Deal.” (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jake Sherman, “Is President Obama Overplaying Sequestration Hand?,” Politico, 2/22/13)

Obama Took The Time To Tour The Nation To Sell His State Of The Union Proposals

After Obama’s State Of The Union Address – Nearly Two Weeks Away From The Sequester – Obama Went On Tour To Campaign For The Priorities He Outlined In His Speech. “Hours after delivering his first State of the Union address of his second term, Obama issued a new challenge to a nation still picking itself up from an economic slump: ‘If you work full time, you shouldn’t be in poverty.’ ‘There’s no magic bullet here, it’s just some common-sense stuff. People still have to work hard,’ Obama said at an auto parts plant in Asheville. He argued that just a few changes – like increasing the minimum wage, investing in research and incentivizing companies to do business in the U.S. – could go a long way toward a resurgence in American manufacturing.” (Josh Lederman, “Obama Pitches Manufacturing Plan On Plant Tour,” The Associated Press, 2/22/13)

From North Carolina, Obama Went To Georgia To Promote His Preschool Proposal. “President Barack Obama turned his State of the Union roadshow to the topic of education on Thursday with a trip to Georgia, where he touted proposals to provide preschool access to all four-year-olds across America.” (Jeff Mason, “Obama Touts Preschool Initiatives In State Of The Union Tour,” Reuters, 2/14/13)

After Georgia, Obama Traveled To Chicago To Promote, Once Again, The Proposals He Outlined In His State Of The Union Speech . “President Barack Obama was wrapping up his post-State of the Union tour by talking about how government can build ‘ladders of opportunity’ into the middle class. During remarks Friday at Hyde Park Academy in Chicago, his hometown, Obama was to discuss proposals to raise the federal minimum wage and pair businesses with recession-battered communities to help them rebuild and provide job training. He also was to talk about creating jobs for young people from poor families, and encouraging fatherhood and low-income couples to marry.” (“Obama: Government Needs To Build ‘Ladders Of Opportunity,’” The Associated Press, 2/15/13)

Obama Took The Time To Golf With Tiger Woods

After His State Of The Union Tour, Obama Went On Vacation In Florida To Play Golf With Tiger Woods – Two Weeks Before The Sequester. “President Barack Obama’s three-day Florida golf getaway featuring a round with Tiger Woods opened him to criticism of tone-deafness for playing when he’s at a budget impasse with Congress that threatens automatic spending cuts in less than two weeks.” (Margaret Talev, “Obama Golf With Woods In Florida Risks Muddling Message,” Bloomberg, 2/19/13)

Meanwhile, Vice President Biden Was Skiing In Aspen. “If you’re among the lucky few who gets President’s Day off and are planning to go to the Aspen or Snowmass area this weekend, keep your eyes peeled for the Veep. Vice President Joe Biden heads to Snowmass today with his family for a ski trip through Monday, his office reported.” (Allison Sherry, “Vice President Joe Biden Heads To Snowmass To Go Skiing Today,” Denver Post’s The Spot, 2/15/13)

Obama Took The Time To Give A Campaign-Style Speech At The White House And Follow It Up With Interviews To Local TV Stations And Radio

When Obama Returned From His Golf Vacation, He Gave A “Campaign-Style” Speech On The Sequester, Surrounded By First Responders. “Obama on Tuesday surrounded himself with firefighters and other first responders at the White House, where he said Republicans would be at fault if the spending reductions take effect and cost the jobs of emergency personnel. The campaign-style event marked the beginning of what aides described as an intensifying push to pressure Congress to postpone the cuts — or to blame Republicans in Congress if it doesn’t.” (Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Sequester Just Over A Week Away. But Blame Game Has Already Begun,” The Washington Post, 2/19/13)

The Washington Examiner’s Brian Hughes: “After Obama’s sequester event, one of the first responders on stage told me that he ‘felt like a potted plant.’” (Brian Hughes, Twitter Feed, 2/19/13)

After The White House Speech, Obama Took His Sequester Argument To Local Television Stations And Radio, Including Al Sharpton. “Two days after a White House speech, one day after interviews with eight local television stations, President Obama takes his sequester argument to the radio on Thursday.The president tapes radio interviews Thursday afternoon with Al Sharpton, Joe Madison and Yolanda Adams, all of whom host shows with predominately African-American audiences.” (David Jackson, “Obama Takes Sequester Argument To Radio,” USA Today, 2/21/13)

Yesterday, Obama Had An Off-The-Record Meeting With Reporters. “President Barack Obama held an off-the-record meeting with top White House reporters on Thursday afternoon, POLITICO has learned. The meeting, with reporters from major print and television outlets, comes days after the White House Correspondents Association complained publicly about their lack of access to the president during a golf outing in Palm Beach, Fla., and one day after Obama met with local television reporters.” (Dylan Byers, “President Obama Holds Off-Record Meeting With Top White House Reporters,” Politico, 2/21/13)

Obama’s Agenda Next Week? Take The Time For Another Campaign-Style Event In Virginia

Obama Plans To Travel To A Virginia Shipyard On Tuesday To Make His Case On Sequestration In Another Campaign-Style Event. “President Barack Obama is expected to visit Newport News Shipbuilding on Tuesday, sources told the Daily Press. The event comes as the company, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is trying to adjust to Navy cutbacks that sparked a delay in a contract to refuel and modernize the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.” (Michael Welles Shapiro and Joe Lawlor, “Obama To Visit Shipyard Tuesday,” Daily Press, 2/20/13)

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